A member of the Dickinson Organization of Poetry Enthusiasts who lives in central Virginia takes a picture of the sky every day (the picutres are posted on Instagram by the account @daily_sky_pic).

With Hurricane Florence approaching the coast, making landfall, and now stalling over North Carolina, it's been ten days since Virginia and the mid-Atlantic states have seen blue skies.

Pictured at the left:The past nine days of gray skies as seen in central Virginia.

The gray skies called to mind Emily Dickinson's poem "A Cap of Lead across the sky." The poem certainly captures the gloomy atmosphere of the past few days -- although this storm has combined the "charms" of a sticky, humid summer -- rather than winter -- with hell.

​By Emily Dickinson:

A Cap of Lead across the skyWas tight and surly drawnWe could not find the mighty FaceThe Figure was withdrawn –

A Chill came up as from a shaftOur noon became a wellA Thunder storm combines the charmsOf Winter and of Hell.

From Jim Asher, the world's leading authority on Emmett Lee Dickinson (Emily Dickinson's third cousin, twice removed -- at her request):

​The Sky is low – the Clouds are mean.A Travelling Flake of SnowAcross a Barn or through a RutDebates if it will go –A Narrow Wind complains all DayHow some one treated himNature, like Us is sometimes caughtWithout her Diadem –

~ Emily Dickinson

​Pictured at the left:February skies: a picture of the sky from each day of the month of February 2018. February 1 is at the bottom left, and February 28 is at the top left.

I am taking a picture of the sky every day. Follow along on Instagram: @Daily_Sky_Pic